Henri Audiffred: Preserve, Pass On, Evolve
In Vosne-Romanée, the mayor connects heritage, village life and adaptation.
Interview: Olivia Matsumoto | Vosne-Romanée, 27 August 2026
A Small Village with a Global Responsibility
Elected mayor of Vosne-Romanée in March 2026, Henri Audiffred begins with a simple observation: it is a “small, small village, but known throughout the world.” For him, the contrast between the commune’s modest size and its international reach brings, above all, a sense of responsibility. His priorities for the term are highly concrete: restoring certain monuments, bringing renewed life to the village through selected events, continuing to improve public spaces, and ensuring that “the village is beautiful and that people feel good here.” Behind its global reputation, he returns to a fundamental point: Vosne-Romanée remains first and foremost a place where people live and work, and one that is cared for every day.
“I Know Almost Every Corner of the Village”
Audiffred explains that his relationship with the territory necessarily shapes the way he carries out his role as mayor. He knows “almost every corner of the village” and says this enables him to identify what is not working, what needs to be improved and what deserves to be continued. This knowledge of the place is not limited to winegrowers. He stresses the importance of living together as a community: growers and their employees, the people of Vosne-Romanée, and those who live in the commune while working elsewhere. His approach to municipal government therefore begins less with an abstract programme than with an accumulated understanding of the place and of the balances that sustain it.
Fourteen Years at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti: Reflection and Respect
Before devoting himself fully to the family estate, Henri Audiffred worked for fourteen years at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Professional sources on Domaine Audiffred describe an experience centred primarily on vineyard work, on parcels spread across the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. During the interview, however, Audiffred does not emphasise any particular vineyard or technique. Instead, he speaks of a “philosophy” that continues to guide him: taking time to reflect, “paying attention to what we do,” and respecting both what surrounds us and the heritage handed down by earlier generations. He explicitly says that he applies this way of thinking both to his own domaine and to the management of the commune.
“You Have a Heritage”
When he speaks about transmission, the Mayor quickly moves from the institutional sphere to that of the family. He explains to his children what they have “in their hands,” what he himself received and what he will, in turn, pass on to them: “You have a heritage; take care to preserve it.” For him, this heritage cannot be reduced to property or to financial value. It also encompasses know-how and a way of life. Transmission is therefore not a single act of handover. It is an everyday practice through which one generation teaches the next what it has received, why it matters and what it will, in turn, be responsible for preserving.
Understanding Vosne-Romanée Beyond Its Great Wines
Asked what visitors should understand about Vosne-Romanée beyond its great wines and celebrated domaines, his first answer is simple: its history. He refers to the Prince de Conti, the church, the Maison Romane and several buildings that testify to the village’s historical value. What matters most to him is that visitors understand why these buildings are still here today and how their owners endeavour to preserve them over time. This idea naturally converges with the work the Vosne-Romanée Culture & Arts Center seeks to develop: placing the world-famous name of Vosne-Romanée within a broader history shaped by families, archives, architecture, winegrowing practices and local memory. The aim is not to add another narrative of prestige, but to make the village more fully understandable in all its historical depth.
Welcoming Visitors Without Losing the Scale of the Village
On the relationship between residents, winegrowers and visitors, Henri Audiffred believes that “the balance happens naturally.” Visitors understand that a winegrower cannot be available at all times, while residents do not regard their presence as a nuisance. The same sense of proportion appears when he speaks about gastronomy, cinema, the Saint-Vincent Tournante, the Académie Conti and possible new cultural initiatives. He sees possibilities in all of them, while also stressing that Vosne-Romanée is not suited to an unlimited succession of events. The challenge is therefore not to multiply activities, but to maintain an appropriate balance between openness, cultural life and everyday village life.
Transmission Sometimes Requires Change
It is towards the end of the interview that Audiffred’s understanding of transmission becomes most precise. Looking ahead to 2032, the Mayor hopes to leave a commune that continues to function properly, that has become more attractive and in which certain neglected areas have been restored. He also hopes to have been “a mayor who listens” to the people he serves. Yet he immediately adds that respect for heritage cannot mean mechanically repeating old methods. In the face of climate change, winegrowers must evolve: it is not enough to say that previous generations worked in a certain way and that we should therefore do exactly the same. At times, one must “move forward, move up a notch” so that the village and the cru of Vosne-Romanée — its winegrowing territory, its vineyards and what they produce — can continue to exist in the years and decades ahead. For Henri Audiffred, preservation therefore means maintaining a continuity that is alive enough to accommodate adaptation.
INTERVIEW NOTE
Interview with Henri Audiffred conducted by Olivia Matsumoto on 27 August 2026 at the Mairie de Vosne-Romanée, Vosne-Romanée, France
